Arati Ankalikar-Tikekar

Born in Bijapur, Karnataka on 27th January 1963, Arati Ankalikar – Tikekar is one of the top vocalists. She completed her graduation from R. A. Podar College of Commerce and Economics. She commenced her training with the Veteran Pandit Vasanth Rao Kulkarni of Agra – Gwalior Gharanas. Later she was under the mentorship of Gana Saraswati Smt. Kishori Amonkar Kishori Amonkar was one of the leading female Indi >> Read More... of Jaipur Atrauli Gharana. Her mentors extensively influenced Arti’s style in music. Her well-known albums are ‘Raag-Rang’ and ‘Tejomay Nadbrahm.’

In addition to albums, Arti is a playback singer and her notable works include De Dhakka, Saavle, Ek Hazarachi Note, and Antamaad. She received the Central Government Scholarship in 1975-80 and the Surashri Kesarbai Kerkar Scholarship in 1980-82. Arti received the Gold Medal for Classical Music, Ghazal and Thumri in the All India Radio Competition during the years 1983 and 1984.

Arti is a two-time National Award recipient for the Best Playback Singer, in the year 2006 (for the Konkani movie Anternaad) and in 2012. Other awards include the Maharashtra State Award, Maharashtra Times Award for a Marathi motion picture and V. Shantaram Award. In 2001, she received Mayor Award and Pt. Kumar Gandharva Sanman in 2006.

In her mid-fifties, Arti now has a career extended over three decades. Additionally, she has several CD recordings and audio cassettes marketed by Rhythm House, HMV, and Polygram. Marathi, Konkani as well as Hindi are a few of the languages she had been the Lead Playback Singer. Her movies as a playback singer include ‘Sardari Begum,’ ‘De Dhakka,’ ‘Dhusar,’ ‘Savlee,’ and ‘Samhitha.’ Arti has done concerts all around the world including USA, UK, UAE, Malaysia, Canada, Singapore and several other countries, to promote the Indian Classical Music. Bangalore, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Bhopal, Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Kerala are a few of the states in India where she has done concerts.

The Malhar Utsav in Delhi, the Dover Lane Festival in Kolkata, Tansen Samaroh in Gwalior are some of the conferences where she had performed. She had appeared in a music reality show as a judge and also appeared in several interviews and discussions. Well-known movie actor Uday Titekar is Arti’s husband, and they have a daughter Swanandi Titekar, in mid-twenties, and is interested in acting as well.